Search form

Chinese Law Summer Program

The University of Oklahoma College of Law participates in a summer program hosted by Renmin University of China Law School in Beijing for American law students.

Program Experience

The program affords students an opportunity to study Chinese and international law under the guidance of American and Chinese legal educators and experience Chinese culture and history. It also provides the opportunity for two-week internships with Chinese law firms.

The Chinese Law Summer Program is offered in affiliation with Indiana University-Indianapolis, University of Minnesota, Boston College and University of Tennessee Schools of Law. It is the longest-standing American law school study abroad program in China, having been administered by Indiana University-Indianapolis for 27 years.

Faculty and Courses

Overview of the Chinese Legal System

This course is taught by Professor Zhu Jingwen. The course identifies the organization of China’s legal system and governmental institutions. It also examines the relationship between the two at the national, provincial, and municipal levels.

Lawyering System of China

This course is taught by Professor He Jiahong. The course examines the body of law that governs China’s lawyers – China’s Lawyer’s Law – and the regulation of foreign law firms that seek to practice law in China. It also considers the social and traditional factors that resist the development of a litigious society.

Constitutional Law of China

This course is taught by Professor Zhu Jingwen. The course focuses on China’s constitutional foundations, particularly those at the intersections of governmental power and individual rights. It also considers the laws applicable to the autonomous regions, such as Hong Kong and Macau, and to minority populations.

Intellectual Property Law of China

This course is taught by Professor Guo Shoukang. The course surveys China’s patent law, trademark law, copyright law, and aspects of technology transfer. It also identifies the roots of China’s IP law in German law and considers contemporary issues relating to protection of intellectual property rights and compliance with international standards.

Foreign Trade with China

This course is taught by Professor Guo Shoukang. The course evaluates China’s foreign trade policies. It also examines changes China has made in its foreign trade law and practices to comply with the requirements imposed by membership in the World Trade Organization and other international conventions.

Foreign Investment and Joint Ventures in China

This course is taught by Professor Zhao Xiuwen. The course describes and compares equity joint ventures, cooperative enterprises, wholly foreign-owned enterprises, foreign-invested joint stock companies, and holding companies. Through progressive changes in law governing these investment vehicles, it is possible to follow China’s need for and openness to foreign capital.

Labor Law and Labor Arbitration Law of China

This course is taught by Professor Ding Xiangshun. The course examines the evolution of China’s laws and policies with regard to job security, entrepreneurship, and worker’s rights. It also examines laws pertaining to organized labor and the resolution of labor-related disputes.

Company Law of China

This course is taught by Professor Yin Li. This course assesses the impact of China’s restructuring of state-owned enterprises and the privatization of corporate structures pursuant to China’s Company Law. It also considers the roles and responsibilities of officers and directors in private companies.

Arbitrating Disputes with Chinese Entities

This course is taught by Professor Zhao Xiuwen. The course examines Chinese attitudes toward dispute resolution, the role of arbitration in the resolution of international disputes in China. It also considers the jurisdiction of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, the largest and most influential arbitration organization in China and one of the most recognized in the world.

Contract Law of China

This course is taught by Professor Zhang Xinbao. The course surveys China’s new law of contract and commercial transactions. It also addresses the application of that law to both domestic and foreign entities doing business in China.

Academic Program

Students may take either a two-week course (May 18-June 2, 2018) for two credits or a four-week course (May 18-June 16, 2018) for five credits. The program provides an overview of the Chinese legal system and focuses on the evolution of Chinese domestic law within the country's socialist market economy. The Program also provides insight into areas of law of contemporary importance, such as labor law and environmental law. The courses will be taught in English by Chinese faculty members of Renmin University School of Law, who are experts in their fields.

The Chinese Law Summer Program meets accreditation requirements of both the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools. Law schools whose students have attended previous sessions have approved the transfer of credits for the courses taken by their students. Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by the student's home school.

Costs and Application

Costs include University of Oklahoma tuition and fees based on number of credit hours to be granted plus Indiana University-Indianapolis’ program fee for housing and administration. Since Indiana University-Indianapolis administers the Chinese Law Summer Program, details and an application form may be found at its webpage. The application deadline is March 1, 2018. Early application is recommended as enrollment is limited.

Chinese Law Summer Program Contact

Prof. Mary Sue Backus
msbackus@ou.edu

Thank you for your interest in applying to OU Law

Please select your program of interest to learn more about the application process.